UNDER-17 TEAM LOSES IN TORREON

TORREON, Mexico –Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente Under-17 team’s run in the LIGA Bancomer MX 2014 Apertura playoffs came to an end Saturday with a 4-1 loss to host Santos Laguna.

The Santos Laguna Under-17 team moves on to the semifinals after winning the home-and-home series with a 5-3 Aggregate score.

The young Xoloitzcuintles, coached by Marco Marroquin, came into the second leg match with a 2-1 advantage after beating Santos last Wednesday night at Estadio Caliente.

Eduardo Aguirre opened up the scoring for the “Guerreros” in the ninth minute. The forward took a centered pass from the right and didn’t waste the opportunity, sending the ball in from near the goal line.

Club Tijuana nearly found the net in the 20^th minute when Juan Rodriguez created one of the most dangerous plays of the first half. Rodriguez faked three defenders inside the small box but his shot went just wide to the right.

Aguirre would score again for Santos and for a 2-0 lead in the 24^th minute with a shot from outside the penalty box, leaving Xoloitzcuintles goalkeeper Samuel Velazquez no chance to make a save.

The Xoloitzcuintles cut the Santos lead to 2-1 with a blasting shot by Cesar Crespo in the 33^rd minute as the Club Tijuana player found the upper left corner of the net. Velazquez and the Xoloitzcuintles went into halftime trailing 2-1 after the Club Tijuana goalkeeper kept several Santos shots out of his net.

Aguirre would add his third score of the day and complete a hat trick in the 81^st minute giving Santos a 3-1 lead. He took advantage of a defensive clearance on a corner kick, sending a shot off a loose ball.

Christian Martinez sealed the win for Santos when he converted a penalty kick in the 90^th minute, ending the Xoloitzcuintles first ever playoff appearance in the Under-17 category.

The young Xoloitzcuintles remained in good spirits during the match looking to find a net but could not convert late in the match. Club Tijuana’s Under-17 team returns to Tijuana to begin preparing for the 2015 Clausura.